A Fake Tree Removal Customer Wants You to Pay the Electrician With a Check

A customer asks for a tree removal estimate at a house that’s for sale. They can’t meet the crew, but they say a check is coming.

Then they ask for one more thing before the job begins.

Overview

The tree company checked with the listing agent before starting

A family that runs a tree service said someone contacted them about removing a tree at a home listed for sale. The person did not attend the estimate.

The supposed customer asked where to mail a check. They then asked the tree company to use part of the money to pay an electrician.

The family reached the real estate agent independently. According to its account, the agent confirmed that the person requesting the work did not own the property.

The business declined the job. The report did not show that the check arrived, that anyone deposited it, or that a tree was cut down.

The same request puts the business and homeowner at risk

The payment warning is the request to route part of a customer’s check to another contractor. The property warning is the lack of verified permission to do the work.

The FTC’s guidance for small businesses documents a common setup in which a customer sends an apparent overpayment and asks the recipient to send some money elsewhere.

Check the two problems separately:

• Find out who has authority to hire you to work at the address.
• Confirm which contact represents the owner or the people who can give permission.
• Get a written work order that covers the actual tree and the scope of work.
• Ask why a second contractor’s bill is being added to your payment.
• Speak directly with your bank if a questionable check arrives or has already been deposited.

Even when the property is easy to identify, the caller’s authority can remain unverified. And even when the check shows in your balance, an outgoing payment creates a separate risk.

The public listing is useful for verifying the job

The listing gave the family an independent route to the property.

A real estate agent or property manager may be able to contact the owner or confirm who requested the estimate.

Call through a verified office or listing contact. Give the job address and explain what you were asked to do.

Do not use a number the alleged customer sends as proof.

Michigan Consumer Protection describes checks used to induce payments to third parties. BBB reports from contractors document that specific use of an overpayment.

How the Scam Works

Step 1: A normal-looking estimate request gets the conversation started

A caller or text sender gives an address and asks for a quote.

A home for sale can make the request sound plausible. The owner might be arranging work before a closing.

Look up the property through your usual process. If it is listed, write down the listing agent’s name. Find the company’s own number if you need to confirm it.

Ask who will authorize work at the property. Get the name and contact information of anyone who will let the crew in or approve changes.

Some genuine customers do manage properties remotely. Verify that relationship before scheduling removal. A quick call can prevent work at a home where nobody hired you.

Step 2: The contact requests an address for the check

An ordinary check request may feel like a sign the job is moving ahead. Confirm the agreement and payment terms before treating it as a booking.

If you work from home, you may prefer to use an established business mailing route where available. Verify company and client details before sending additional personal information.

In the reported case, the contractor gave a mailing address that was also the family’s home. That fact mattered to the family even after it stopped the payment process.

If you gave out your address and receive threats or an unexpected visit, save the evidence and contact local authorities as appropriate. Avoid engaging the person to obtain more information.

Step 3: You are asked to pay a different contractor

The supposed customer said extra money would be included for an electrician. The tree company would have been responsible for making a payment it did not owe.

Keep a second trade’s charges off your invoice unless a genuine, verified contract gives you responsibility for them. A stranger’s reassurance can’t establish that arrangement.

If someone says the electrician won’t start until you send payment, check the authorization first. A legitimate owner can arrange to pay their other contractor through the agreed channels.

The issue is the outgoing transfer. Once you send it, the bank’s treatment of the original check does not automatically reverse the separate payment.

Step 4: The business has to decide whether to show up

The family called the real estate agent and declined the request. Nobody needed to test the check by depositing it or prove the customer was lying by turning up.

If you have a crew assigned, tell them plainly that work is on hold pending authorization. Stop equipment dispatch if the property has not been verified.

If the check reaches you anyway, call the bank for guidance about what to keep. Keep the envelope, check, and message that told you where the extra money should go.

A customer who insists on immediate work while you verify ownership is giving you another reason to stop. The legitimate owner’s interests come before that person’s deadline.

What to Confirm Before a Crew Starts Work

Get the name of the verified property owner or representative. Ask who else needs to know about the job, especially if the property is currently occupied.

Send the proposed scope through that verified route. Identify the trees, access points, and dates.

Keep records of any confirmation before you close a driveway or bring equipment onto the site.

Some jobs need discussion with a tenant, homeowners’ association, utility, or local authority. Check applicable requirements and do not rely on the supposed customer to speak for all parties.

If an agent says somebody scheduled work for the seller, ask for approval directly from the seller or an authorized representative.

A public listing is a way to start the conversation.

If the property is vacant, verify the person providing access. An empty house can still have an owner who never authorized the removal of a tree.

If the check reached your office

Log the date it arrived and the sender details shown on the envelope. Keep it away from normal deposits while you contact your bank.

If a colleague already deposited it, save the receipt and let the bank know what happened. Identify any payments you made to the proposed electrician or another third party.

Do not refund an amount from your own funds while the check is under review. Ask the bank what to do with the record or physical item.

Warn any staff who handle incoming payments about the specific request. A copy of the invoice or payment demand can help them see why this deposit is on hold.

A Safe Way to Confirm the Site Without Treating a Quote as Permission

Contact the property manager or listing agent before you assign a crew. Ask who requested an estimate and whether that person has permission to ask for work.

An estimate can be prepared for a buyer who is negotiating a purchase.

The person who can request a price may still be unable to authorize work before the sale closes.

Keep the estimate separate from the signed work order. Tell the customer what access and approvals you need before any cutting or removal starts.

If the owner and customer are different people, ask for the relationship in writing through a contact you verified. An unconfirmed name or key code cannot settle the question.

Photographs from a listing may be older than the job request. Confirm current site conditions with the authorized contact before allocating labor or equipment.

If a resident calls about the estimate, give them your verified business contact. Record what they say and leave payments on hold.

Decide in advance how your business handles checks and third parties

Give staff one place to record incoming checks and who approved their use. A written policy can make it easier to refuse an unexpected request while a customer is waiting.

A payment for your services should match the amount on your invoice. If an unknown customer wants to add somebody else’s fee, require them to settle that bill themselves.

Tell staff who to contact if the check amount and invoice differ.

Keep a copy of the customer’s explanation, but let the bank say what can be done with the deposit.

If the person switches from check to card or payment app, stop and verify who authorized the job anyway.

A payment method change doesn’t give the customer control of the property.

Ask the bank whether any transfer was made from your business or personal balance. Use ledger entries to identify the source and amount before submitting the fraud report.

If someone appears and asks for a check or a cash refund, verify their identity through the provider handling your report. Do not hand over payments or documents on demand.

If staff members exchanged personal numbers, let them know to pass later contact to the business’s designated person. Preserve calls or messages that affect the safety of the crew.

In your own job records, note whether the crew visited the property or only prepared an estimate. The owner may need that distinction to assess whether any work happened.

What to Do if You Have Fallen Victim to This Scam

Pause the job and contact the bank if money moved. Reach the property owner or agent through genuinely independent contact information.

1. Stop work and payments. Tell the crew the job is on hold. Decline any request to forward money from a check.

2. Check who can authorize the work. Speak to the real owner or verified agent and confirm the exact address, scope, and person requesting it.

3. Tell the bank about the check. Ask how to preserve it and what to do if it was deposited. Keep any deposit reference.

4. Report a separate outgoing transfer. Contact the provider promptly if you already paid the purported electrician or returned an overpayment.

5. Save the job records. Keep the messages, quote, envelope, check, and the reply from the property contact. Write down when each arrived.

6. File a report as appropriate. US contractors can use ReportFraud.ftc.gov and contact local police if there is a loss or an immediate safety issue.

Use the FTC’s fake check guide if your own records show a deposit or an overpayment request. Keep the bank’s case number alongside the report.

If any work has already taken place, document what was done and notify the verified owner.

If there is a dispute about property or payment, seek advice relevant to your area.

Let the other named contractor know only through an independently confirmed business route if their name was used.

Do not share banking information or send a copy of the check publicly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a home for sale a sign that a tree service request is fake?

No. Owners often arrange work on listed properties. Verify who authorized the estimate, then confirm the address, scope, and work order through that person.

The sale listing can give you an independent route to check the job. It does not authorize the work by itself.

Can the bank say the funds are available before a bad check is found?

Yes. A bank can make money available while it processes the check. Speak to the bank if you suspect fraud. Leave the funds alone while it reviews the deposit.

If a contact says you can now pay somebody with those funds, follow the bank’s instructions instead. Report the request with the check.

Should I call the electrician to check?

Use contact information you find independently if a real business was named. Start with the verified property owner.

Ask whether the owner hired that electrician and who is responsible for payment.

If you cannot confirm the arrangement, do not issue payment. A person introduced by the unknown customer cannot authorize that transfer.

What if I gave the caller my mailing address?

Save the conversation and stop sharing additional information. Tell other people at the address not to act on any unexpected payment or collection request.

If you receive a package, check, threat, or in-person visit tied to the contact, keep the records and use appropriate local help.

Should I send the paper check back?

Ask the bank or the authority handling your report what to retain. Preserve the original and its envelope while you get instructions.

Keep a separate note of who asked for a return or requested payment. Do not send new money to settle the matter privately.

What if someone else already sent a crew?

Speak to the verified property owner or agent and stop work that has not been authorized. Make sure the crew knows there is an ownership question.

Save the work order and communications that led to dispatch. If the owner says no work was approved, document that confirmation and ask how to proceed safely.

The Bottom Line

When a tree removal customer adds an electrician’s payment to a check, stop and call the verified property contact. Confirm who authorized the work before you dispatch a crew.

If a check or transfer already went through, contact the bank and preserve both records. Leave any payment to the other contractor on hold.